1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method that will accelerate and improve wound healing, particularly where complicating factors are present that may be associated with metabolic disorders such as diabetes, radiation or chemically treated cancer patients, or burn victims.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Chronic wounds are a potentially major complication for many people with complicating health factors because an inability to effectively synthesize collagen slows or prohibits the healing process and a suppressed immune system renders the individual susceptible to infection.
For example, it has been shown that a lack of insulin inhibits the healing process in diabetics by decreasing wound capillaries, fibroblasts, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and collagen at the wound site. Additionally, platelets demonstrate an increase in aggregation, which inhibits their action. Platelets are a source of platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF) which enhance healing therefore any lack or malfunction of the platelets and subsequently of PDGF would have an adverse effect on healing.
Wounds can become a major complication in cancer patients if microbes invade the wound site because chemotherapy suppresses the immune system. Almost all chemotherapy agents currently available kill cancer cells by affecting DNA synthesis. For example, cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent that is used in the treatment of chronic leukemias. Alkylating agents kill cancer cells by directly attacking DNA. However, in the process of attacking cancer cells, the alkylating agents also affect healthy cells and organs, including white blood cells and platelets thereby suppressing the patient's immune system.
Additionally, diabetics and patients with other metabolic disorders have an increased susceptibility to infection due to immune system abnormalities. Specifically, diabetics have deficiencies in white cell diapedesis, adherence, and chemotaxis. Hyperglycemia causes defective white cell phagocytosis and promotes growth of bacteria. Angiopathy, which leads to hypoxia, inhibits white blood cell (WBC) killing of bacteria by reducing the formation of superoxide radicals and impairs the delivery of antibiotics, antibodies, and granulocytes to the affected site.
Generally, bandages, creams, topical antibiotics, and mechanical scraping have been used as a first line of defense to treat chronic wounds. The surface of the wound is typically cleansed and/or sterilized to enhance the body's natural healing processes. However, these methods may be inadequate when natural healing mechanisms are affected by complicating factors such as chemotherapy which suppresses the immune system or diabetes which inhibits the production of collagen and/or fibroblasts at the wound site.
Thus a device and method is needed to accelerate wound healing that can effectively increase wound capillaries, fibroblasts, and collagen in the wound site, while simultaneously eliminating the risk of infection.
Ablative laser skin resurfacing (LSR) has been used to induce dermal collagen shrinkage to treat facial rhytides, acne scarring, and other blemishes by ablating or vaporizing skin in very thin layers, with a high level of control and without affecting the deep layers of the dermis. However, this method would not be advantageous for wound healing because ablative methods are often accompanied by complications such as persistent erythema, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, scarring and infection.
Non-ablative laser skin resurfacing methods eliminate the complications commonly associated with ablative laser skin resurfacing by inciting a healing response in the dermis without damaging the epidermal barrier. The risk of infection and scarring is typically eliminated and erythema is greatly reduced when treating facial rhytides because the epidermal barrier remains intact. However in wound treatment, the epidermis may be damaged prior to laser therapy, therefore, the current non-ablative skin resurfacing methods do not provide a method to prevent infection in wound therapy which is essential in cases where complicating factors are present. Additionally, non-ablative skin resurfacing methods have found a need and benefit from employing a cooling mechanism to protect the epidermis. However, excess cooling can lead to fiber damage and a high radiant exposure is required for effective treatment.
Thus, a device and method is needed that can accelerate and improve the healing process, particularly in situations where complicating factors are present, without the complications associated with the prior art.